AN ALCOHOLIC ex-bank manager who strangled and drowned his partner’s puppy during a drunken hallucination has been banned from keeping animals for life.

Pensioner David Johnston killed Max, his partner’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier-type puppy, in September last year, Bournemouth magistrates’ court heard.

The 66-year-old kept the dead puppy for up to five days and wrote him a letter to tell him he loved him.

When RSPCA officers visited Johnston’s home, he initially denied there was an animal in the house, the court was told.

But he eventually led them to the body, kept underneath a pillow case in the bedroom and riddled with maggots and flies.

Johnston, 66, of Branksome Wood Road, Bournemouth was supposed to be looking after Max for his partner Sarah Thomas when he killed him.

In the letter, he wrote: “Goodbye Max – along with Sarah you have totally changed my life. In the short time we have known each other we became very close friends – thank you for what you have done for me.

“You will always be in my heart, always loved and never ever forgotten, God bless, love Dave xxxx.”

Prosecuting, Matthew Knight told the court a vet had concluded Max had suffered during a traumatic episode. He had bruising around his neck and a cut to his leg – the most likely cause of death was drowning.

Mr Knight added: “This is an extremely disturbing and unpleasant case and the defendant quite clearly has very serious problems.”

The court was told Johnston has a significant problem with alcohol and Ian Daly, defending, added: “That problem needs to be addressed. I do not think you will see Mr Johnston again in the criminal courts.

“Up until now his drinking has just been a problem that he has had to deal with – he has no wish to find himself in this position again.”

Johnston admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal on or around September 1 last year and also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to custody in February this year.

He was banned from owning or caring for any animal for life and given an 18-month community order with a requirement for alcohol treatment. Johnston was also ordered to pay £1,127 costs and given a £150 fine for the bail offence.

Sentencing, District Judge Roger House said: “This is a very unusual case – it was a deliberate act, but not knowingly a deliberate act.

“Because of the excessively serious problem you have got with drink, you did this without really knowing what you were doing.”

After the case, RSPCA Inspector Jo Story told the Daily Echo: “The main thing that we were looking for was the lifetime ban so we are glad we have got that.”